Automobile vehicle.



No. 657,l24. Patented Sept. 4, I900. H. W. LIBBEY.

AUTOMOBILE VEHICLE.

(Application filed Oct. 2, 1899. (No Model.)

ATTORNEY.

Unirrnn Tans ATNT OFFIcE,

HOSEA \V. LIBBEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMOBILE VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,124, datedeptember4, 1900. Application filed October 2,1899. Serial lilo. 732,401. (Nomodel.)

Irv

r0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOSEA LIBBEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to automobile vehicles to be propelled by compressedair, liquid air, or compressed or liquefied gases; and it has for itsobject to provide improved means for utilizing compressed or liquefiedgas or air as a motive power by discharging it against the buckets orvanes of a motor-wheel mounted on the vehicle.

This invention consists in the combiuation of a reservoir for compressedor liquefied air or gas carried on avehicle, a motor-wheel on thevehicle-axle, a nozzle for directing discharge of air or gas underpressure against the buckets or vanes of the motor-wheel, areducing-valve intermediate said reservoir and nozzle, pivotal supportsfor the nozzle, and a flexible connection between said nozzle and valve,whereby the position of the nozzle relative to the'motor-wheel is notaffected by movement of the vehicle-body on its springs.

The invention further consists in features of construction and novelcombinations of parts in an automobile vehicle, as hereinafter describedand claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is asectional side elevation of atwo-seated surrey with my invention applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is arear elevation of the same.

The carriage-body 1 may be of any desired construction. In the drawingsI have shown arranged under each carriage-seat a reservoir 2 forcompressed or liquefied air or gas. A pipe 3 leads from each reservoirand connects with a reducing-valve l, that may be conveniently locatedintermediate the two reservoirs, as shown in Fig. 1. The reducing-valveis designed to control the discharge of compressed or liquefied air orgas under pressure from the said reservoirs, and the valve may have anysuitable construction adapted to its required purpose. A dischargepipe5, Fig. 1, leads from the reducing-valve 1 and communicates through aflexible connection 6 with a dischargemozzle '7, that is arranged todirect a jet of compressed air or gas against the buckets or vanes 8 ofa motorwheel. f

I have shown the motor-wheel 9 as connected through a common form ofdifferential gear 10, Fig. l, to the two halves of a divided tubularrear axle 11 of anysuitable construction. A smaller axle 12, Fig. 1, ispassed through the two parts of the divided axle and serves as adistance-piece in connection with nuts 13 at the outer sides of the rearvehiclewheels.

It will be observed that the two compressedair or liquefied-airreservoirs 2 are arranged to feed a single reducing-valve 4:, which isoperated from a vertically-arranged cranked shaft 14, located near thedrivers seat. Any suitable connection 15 is provided between the valve 4and the lower end of said valveoperatingcranked shaft.Asuitablesteeringgear 16 is provided, operated through avertically-arranged cranked shaft 17 within convenient reach of thedriver.

The nozzle 7 is supported by ayoke 18, pivotally supported on the rearaxle and straddling the motor-wheel. The yoke 18 is extended forward andupward and is supported at its forward end by a link or links 19,pivotally attached to an under portion of the vehicle-body. This mannerof supporting the nozzle 7 provides, in combination with the flexibleconnection 6, for the movement of the vehicle-body on its springswithout dist-urbing the position of the nozzle relative to themotor-wheel.

On one side of the motor-wheel there is arranged a pulley-and-strapbrake 20, Fig. 2, of any usual and well-known construction, and which isoperated through a suitable connection 21, Fig. 1, from a foot-lever 22,mounted in the forward portion of the vehicle.

The motor-wheel 0 may be of any suitable turbine type adapted to therequirements of an automobile. By connecting this motorwheel with thetwo halves of a vehicle-axle through differential gearing, as shown, provision is made for ease in turning corners.

The vehicle-body 1 may be supported on running-gear in any well-knownmanner. In Fig.2 I have shown the rear transversely-arranged springs 23as connected with the rear to discharge a jet downwardly and inwardlyagainst the motor-wheel in such direction as l to impart a forwardrotation to-said mo'torwheel, and thereby propel the vehicle forwardlythrough the connection of said motorwheel with the vehicle-axle. In thiscase I have shown no provision for backing the 've hicle; but this maybe accomplished by means of a hinged nozzle, as shown in my applicationSerial No. 732,402, or by the use of reversible buckets on themotor-wheel, as in my 7 application Serial No. 732,405.

The compressed or liquefied air or gas under pressure is made to actdirectly against a bucketed or turbine motor-wheel at any pressuredesired as governed by the valve 4, through which the speed of thevehicle can be controlled at will.

If desired, the storage-reservoirs and the several pipes and passagesfor compressed or liquefied air or gas may be provided with anon-conducting covering, preferably composed of an inner layer ofasbestos and an outer layer of rubber or rubber fabric, the asbestosbeing designed to protect the contents of said reservoirs and passagesfrom the warmth of the outside atmosphere and the rubber to afford aprotection against dampness.

What I claim as my invention is-"- 1. In an automobile vehicle, thecombine tion of a storage-reservoir for compressed or liquefied air orgas, carried on said vehicle, a motor-wheel on the vehicle-axle andprovided with vanes or buckets, a pivotally supporte'd nozzle todischarge against the buckets or vanes of said motor-wheel, areducing-valve connected with said reservoir, and a flexible connectionbetween said nozzle and valve,

whereby the position of the nozzle relative to the motor-wheel is notaffectedby movement of the vehicle-body on its springs, substantially asdescribed. I

2. In an automobile vehicle, the combination of a storage-reservoir forcompressed or liquefied air or gas, carried on the vehicle, amotor-wheel mounted on the vehicle-axle, a reducing-valve connected withsaid reservoir, a nozzle to discharge against said motor-wheel, pivotalsupports for the nozzle, a

flexible connection between said nozzle andv valve, whereby the positionof the nozzle relative to the motor-wheel is not affected by movement ofthe vehicle-body on its springs, and mechanism for operating said valveto control the discharge through said nozzle,substantially as described.

3. In an automobile vehicle, the combination of a divided axle, amotor-wheel connected with the two halves of said axle throughdifferential gearing, vehicle-wheels on the ends of said axle, astorage-reservoir for compressed or liquefied air or gas, carried by thevehicle, a reducing-valve connected with said reservoir, a nozzle fordischarging a jet against the periphery of the motor-wheel, pivotalsupports for said nozzle, and a flexible connection between said nozzleand valve, substantially as described.

4. In an automobile vehicle, the combina tion of storage-reservoirs forcompressed or liquefied air or gas, one of said reservoirs being locatedunder each seat of the vehicle, a red ucing-val've supplied from saidreservoirs, a motor-wheel mounted on the vehicle-axle and having itsperiphery provided with buckets or vanes, a nozzle to dischargecompressed or liquified air or gas against the buckets or vanes of saidmotor-wheel, pivotal supports for said nozzle, and a flexible connectionbetween the said valve and nozzle, substantially as described.

, 5. In an automobile vehicle, the combination of a vehicle-bodyprovided with a number of seats,'storage-reservoirs for compressed orliquefied air or gas, each located under one of said seats, areducing-valve supplied from said reservoirs, a motor-wheel mounted onthe vehicle-axle, a nozzle to discharge against the periphery of saidwheel, pivotal supports for said nozzle, flexible connections betweensaid reducin 'valve and nozzle, and operating mechanism for thereducing-valve to controlthe discharge of a jet of compressed orliquefied air or gas against the motor-wheel, substantially asdescribed.

6. In an automobile vehicle, the combination of a vehicle-body, astorage-reservoir for compressed or liquefied air or gas, a motorwheelon the rear axle, a yoke pivoted on the rear axle and straddling saidmotor-wheel, a link between the vehicle-body and the upper end of saidyoke, a discharge-nozzle mounted on said yoke, a reducing-valveconnected with the storagen'eservoir, and a flexible connection betweensaid nozzle and the red ucingvalve, substantially as described.

In'testi'mony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two'subscribin g wit- IXGSSQS.

IIO-SEA W. LIBBEY.

CHAS. STEERE, WINIFRED G. KERWIN.

